WSP04331

• File Number: 8220.112.A
• Description: Dallas Creek Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 3/1/1977
• Title: Dallas Creek Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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A series of alternative plans would have called for a second reservoir,

known as Dallas Divide, to be constructed on Pleasant Valley Creek. This

reservoir would have prOVided water for municipal and irrigation uses on

Log Hill Mesa. This increment was deleted from the p~oject plan when it

became apparent that the assumed municipal water needs would not material-

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ize and oecause of environmental objections,

Another alternative would have utilized water for a coal fired

thermal generation plant in place of water for supplemental irrigation

in the Uncompahgre Valley. This alternative was not recommended at the

request of the State of Colorado which indicated a preferential use of

water for agriculture over energy development in the project area.

Finally, as an alternative to utilization of surplus water from the

Uncompahgre River, importation of additional water from the Gunnison River

through the Gunnison Tunnel was considered. During periods when the

tunnel was not being fully utilized for its present uses, water would be

conveyed from the Gunnison River for storage at the Dry Cedar Reservoir

on Dry Cedar Creek. This alternative could meet most of the Uncompahgre

Valley needs of the Dallas Creek Project but would not have served all

the project purposes as the proposed plan. Furthernore, it would have

critically limited the period of time available for maintenance of the

Gunnison Tunnel and could not take advantage of surplus flows of the

Uncompahgre River.